


A Shadow in Thunder

by TheShaddowedSnow



Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Character Death, Child Abandonment, Medicine Cat Main Character, Other, Prophecies, StarClan (Warriors), ThunderClan (Warriors), Timeline What Timeline, seeing spirits
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-27
Updated: 2020-11-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:15:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27219262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheShaddowedSnow/pseuds/TheShaddowedSnow
Summary: First, and foremost, go check out Fernpool's games on Scratch, they are AMAZING and inspired this fic-Darkness is falling on the clans, and an old enemy thought to be defeated is rising up, and a young cat is caught in the middle. Can Moonpaw beat back the darkness? Or will all of the clans be drowned?Meanwhile, the many secrets in teh forests threaten to tear the clans apart from the inside. Lines are drawn, cats are betrayed, and an enemy lurks jsut outside ThunderClan's borders.
Relationships: Original Character(s)/Original Character(s)
Kudos: 1





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Warriors: The Game Offical studio](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/705601) by Fernpool. 



> Fun fact! Both Fernpool and I have male black cats named Duskstar for OCs!
> 
> All the cats depicted except for Mirrorpool, Dawnkit, and Moonkit belong to Fernpool and yeah :)
> 
> Fernpool if you're reading this, I used the warrior name for my Duskstar because search as I might, I could not find mention of your Duskstar's warrior name, it's still your Duskstar, but.... Yeah
> 
> Tags will ALSO be added as this goes on

Mirrorpool huffed and panted. She was dying, the ShadowClan queen could feel it.

“Mudheart… Take her away from here, please,” Mirrorpool begged. “Say she died and that medicine cats have a special ceremony for kits or something.” The brown tabby blinked in surprise at the white ears and tailed she-cat. The kit actually looked exactly like her mother, black with white ears and tail, though her paws were also white. “Please! I’m going to die anyway…”

“Are you sure?” Mudheart asked. “Wherever she ends up, she won’t have anyone of her blood.”

“Yes,” Moontial smiled, head falling to the nest under her. “Go…”

-

Mudheart frowned and placed Mirrorpool's kit at the border. The dusk patrols would be sent out soon, and Mudheart prayed to StarClan ThunderClan to find the unnamed kit first. He would never know why Mirrorpool, who even if she wasn’t born and raised in ShadowClan, was a loyal and dedicated warrior of the clan, and the deputy, Duskrunner’s, mate.

ThunderClan was indeed there first and froze when they found the newborn, shriveling kit. Without a second thought, one of them as gently as possible picked the kit up and brought them back to camp while the others checked the border.

“... Bring that kit over, have you talked to Whiteberry?” Leafshade asked from where she was already nursing her own newborn kit, a golden tabby tom with slightly darker stripes. “Quickly! Poor thing must be cold and starving…” At first, Leafshade was worried the small kit wouldn’t latch and suckle and was relieved when she did. “Oh, poor thing…” The warrior went to get Whiteberry. 

The newly named Moonkit joined ThunderClan, safe and tucked against her new foster mother.


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Moonkit's kithood

“Moonkit!” a calico she-kit squealed and pounced on her distracted friend. “Your brother and I are gonna sneak out of camp tonight! Wanna join?” It was said surprisingly quietly in Moonkit’s ear, which was unusual for her best friend Snowkit’s sister. “You can’t tell anyone!”

“No thanks, get off me,” Moonkit grumbled, blinking and shaking her head as she stood up. "Besides I'm going to Whiteberry's den again."

“Fine, but you can't tell anyone okay? Please? Hollyberry said the forest is super safe as long as you aren’t near the borders.” Moonkit hesitated, unsure of the validity of Fernkit’s words, but nodded. Fernkit beamed and went to talk to Dawnkit, Moonkit’s brother. The two of them constantly played together, and it was almost adorable. Almost. They mostly just annoyed Moonkit, not that the black and white she-kit would admit it out loud.

No, she only admittedly quietly to herself, and the unnamed, starry cats when they weren't all talking at the same time and crowding her.

"Ah hello, Moonkit." Whiteberry turned and smiled as the quickly growing white-tailed she-kit entered her den. "Do you wish to help me clean my den a bit today?"

"Yes please!" Moonkit beamed and raced in.

Whiteberry was the ThunderClan medicine cat and was very patient and kind. Since the first time Moonkit came in complaining about the starry cats, the white and silver tabby had been more than happy to let the young kit find sanctuary in the medicine den. Whiteberry even explained whatever herbs she so happened to collect that day to Moonkit.

"... Whiteberry, if you knew a cat was doing something dangerous, would you tell someone?" Moonkit asked after several minutes. "Like, say, if two kits were going to try and sneak out of camp."

"Of course," Whiteberry said, catching on quickly. "Especially because if anything happened to them, I'd feel responsible. While it's true if someone confides in you, you should never tell anyone, if it's something like that you should."

"Okay," a pause, "Fernkit and Dawnkit are gonna try and sneak out of camp tonight." Moonkit looked towards the entrance of the den. "I didn't want to tattle and stuff but there has to be a reason right? That we're not allowed to leave camp as kits. I don't want my brother to be hurt."

Whiteberry nodded and went over, brushing her tail across Moonkit's back. "I'll make sure Leafshade and Gingerpelt know. You're doing the right thing." Whiteberry observed the white and black kit, the green eyes of said kit now fixated on the medicine cat. "In fact… How would you like to be my apprentice when you turn six moons?"

"I'd like that more than anything!" Moonkit beamed. "Thank you Whiteberry!"

-

"Are they still complaining about being grounded?" Snowkit asked. The pure white she-cat and Moonkit were on their way to hear a story from Whiteberry. "I mean, they did plan on leaving camp."

"I think Yellowkit and Fernkit will all day," Moonkit admitted. "I just hope Leopardkit isn't too upset… She didn't react well when she found out I'm going to be Whiteberry's apprentice."

"She's just bummed because she wanted to be," Snowkit reassured. "She'll get over it."

Moonkit nodded, but still felt bad about it. After all, it wasn't Leopardkit's fault Moonkit was chosen over her. Besides, Leopardkit wasn’t visited by the starry cats like Moonkit was, and Whiteberry said that just showed how connected Moonkit was to their ancestors!

Still… Leopardkit was clearly disappointed and upset but was trying to hide it the best she could. She even congratulated Moonkit when the black and white she-kit happily entered the den, beaming and talking excitedly about her future role within the clan. 

A role that would start in just a moon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise the other chapters will be longer! Just there's not much to kithood that doesn't get repetitive sooooo


	3. Chapter 2

“Naturally, your mentor will be Whiteberry,” Amberstar, the ginger tabby leader of ThunderClan, told the newly named Moonpaw. “That is all, clear Highrock!”

Moonpaw rushed off into the medicine cat den, which was in a tree hollow low to the ground near the camp entrance. She couldn't believe it! She was actually a medicine cat apprentice! Sure, everyone else were regular apprentices and she no longer shared a den with them, but she had her own path to follow!

“For today, although I know you must be excited to start training, why don’t you explore the forest and talk to your fellow apprentices?” Whiteberry purred. “I still have to get your nest ready, it’ll be right next to mine. Don’t stay out too late though, your training begins tomorrow.”

“Yes, Whiteberry!” Moonpaw rushed out of the den, deciding to peek into the only other den besides the Leader’s den on this side of the camp, which was the nursery.

“Hello dear!” Leafshade purred. “I’m so proud of both you and your brother”!

“Thanks, mom,” Moonpaw purred. “I’m excited, my official training doesn't start until tomorrow though.

“I figured,” Leafshade chuckled. “Now go! I’m sure you’re eager to talk to your brother and friends.” Moonpaw nodded darting off to the other side of camp, deciding to leave the elders alone for the time being and entering the apprentice den.

“Isn’t this exciting?” Fernpool asked, eyes wide. “We’re apprentices now! I mean, it’s slightly different for you, being medicine cat apprentice and all, but still!” It seemed the calico she-cat had just as much energy as ever, and Moonpaw secretly felt a bit bad for the gray tom who glared over at Fernpaw.

“Will you shut up for one second?” said tom grouched.

“Stormpaw!” Rainpaw scolded. “They just became apprentices!”

“What are you even doing here anyway?” he huffed at Moonpaw. “You don’t sleep in this den.”

“I do have friends you know,” Moonpaw snarked. “You should try it sometime.”

“I think you need a medicine cat for that burn,” Dawnpaw laughed. The light brown tabby ton’s nest was right next to Leopardpaw’s, the unusually spotted golden she-cat giving her friend a sad smile.

“That'll be great,” Snowpaw purred, the pure white she-cat smiling at her friend. “Dewnose said she’d be taking both of us out to see the territory later, that’ll be fun.”

“Needleclaw is letting me go out on my own,” Dawnpaw said proudly. “Though I think I’ll just tag along with Leopardpaw and Amberflight.”

“Feathersong is taking me out later too,” Fernpaw said. “I can't wait.”

-

“Wow… The territory is amazing,” Moonpaw breathed.

Right outside camp was a small stream that fed into the river that separated RiverClan and ThunderClan. The air was crisp and new and not at all like camp. Moonpaw was in love instantly. Snowpaw grinned at her friend and raced off toward the edge of the trees.

"Let's follow after her," the calico warrior mused. Moonpaw nodded and the warrior and apprentice ran after the white she-cat.

"Isn't this so cool?" Snowpaw asked, blue eyes wide as she scanned the meadow.

"Yeah," Moonpaw said, ears parked at all the new sounds.

Dewnose chuckled and smiled softly. The green and blue eyes of the medicine cat and warrior apprentices respectively showed their delight and awe. It brought her back to when her and her sister, Leafshade, were first made apprentices. 

They would mature and grow throughout their apprenticeships, sure, but right now they were still practically kits.

-

Moonpaw grinned as she and Snowpaw got back to camp, the two going to the apprentice den. The territory was amazing, even if they weren’t allowed near the borders, and it was amazing to finally be able to explore it.

“How was seeing the territory?” her fellow black and white apprentice asked.

“It was awesome Rainpaw!” Moonpaw beamed. “There were so many new sights and smells!”

“Everything seems so big,” Leopardpaw added. “And so rich with prey. I feel like I could explore for moons and still discover new things.” Moonpaw silently agreed. There were probably tons of little hidden places cats could hide out or discover all over the forest and meadow.

-

A quarter moon passed since then, and Moonpaw felt like she was about to be swallowed whole by the ground beneath her. It wasn't her training, Moonpaw took to it quite well, and memorizing all of the herbs and their uses were easy, but her first moonpool gathering was that night.

Like every half-moon, the spirits were restless and around her, and she had pretty much been cooped up in the medicine den sorting herbs after she and Whiteberry gathered them that morning.

“I just hope they calm down by tonight,” Moonpaw sighed/ “It’ll be my first half-moon gathering.”

“I'm sure it’ll be fine, Dawnsky, Poppyflower, and Mudheart have been interested in meeting you, and Poppyflower even has an apprentice, Barkpaw.” 

In truth, Mudheart had been almost weirdly interested in Moonpaw, especially after finding out she was the kit that ThunderCllan had found and Leafshade adopted. It wasn’t very common knowledge, Emberstar didn’t even announce it at a gathering, and Moonpaw herself didn’t know she was a rouge kit, but Whiteberry had told the other medicine cats, just in case some sort of sickness or predator took the mother away from her kit.

At sundown, however, the mentor and apprentice made their trek all the way to the moonpool, Whiteberry smiling and greeting the other medicine cats.

“It’s good to meet you, Moonpaw!” Brkpaw said, the brown tabby smiling from his mentor Poppyflower’s side. “I'm Barkpaw, I was getting bored here every half-moon watching the medicine cats talk.”

“Yeah?” Moonpaw purred. The spirits, thankfully, did not follow Moonpaw all the way to the Moonpool. “Well, now you have me to talk to! When did you become a medicine cat apprentice?”

“Only a moon ago,” Barkpaw purred. "It's been crazy."

"I've only been an apprentice a quarter moon," the black and white apprentice admitted. "It still feels like a dream." Honestly, Moonpaw half expected to wake up in the regular apprentice's den some days.

"It was like that for me too, don't worry," Barkpaw said, bumping shoulders with her.

"Before we share dreams, I must present my apprentice as a medicine cat" Whiteberry stated, the two apprentices dashing over to the older cats. "Moonpaw, is it your wish to enter the mysteries of StarClan as a medicine cat?"

"It is." Moonpaw had no doubt in her mind this was the path she wished to take in life. She was sure from the first time she stepped into her and Whiteberry's den.

Whiteberry smiled and nodded. "Then come forward.

"Warriors of StarClan, I present you with this Apprentice. She has chosen the path of a Medicine Cat. Grant her your wisdom and insight so that she may understand your ways and heal her Clan in accordance with your will."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will reiterate, I do not own any characters except Dawnpaw, Moonpaw, and Mirrorpool lol


End file.
